Mother who had quick nip and tuck now had surgery FOUR times and spent an extra £12,000

Suzanne Harvey has now spent £22,000 on cosmetic surgery and plans further work after being disappointed with the results from work abroad

Nip and tuck tourism has been rising ever since people discovered they could have cheap cosmetic surgery.

But one woman is urging others not to make her mistake after she was forced to shell out twice the amount she paid for her surgery abroad – to have it corrected. 

Suzanne Harvey, 45, from Reading, spent £12,000 having surgery to her arms, breasts and stomach in Tunisia after her dramatic weight loss left her with sagging skin.

But after being disappointed by the results, she had to turn to a private British surgeon to correct it.

It means she has now had to spend £22,000 so far and expects to pay a further £10,000 in a second round of procedures in the UK.  

Mrs Harvey, who works as a nail technician, had been a size 28 when she married business analyst David, now 52, and peaked at a size 30 after having son James, now 17.

She managed to lose two stone herself going from 23 stone to 21 stone. 

But after joining Slimming World and swapping her usual cakes, sweets and chocolate for salads and sugar free jelly her weight fell by a further eight stone down to 13 stone and a size 14. 

The weight loss had left her with saggy skin on her arms, breasts and stomach and she was no eligible for surgery on the NHS.

‘It was upsetting because I had worked so hard to finally lose the weight yet I hated my body even more. 

‘I looked like I had melted. It was her husband who suggested she use some of their savings after Suzanne admitted she had looked at private cosmetic surgery.

‘I decided that if I was going to do it I wanted to spend as little as possible and that was a mistake.

‘But as a wife and mother you feel guilty spending money on yourself so when someone tells you that they can do exactly what you want for half the cost it is very easy to get swept along because you want to believe it.’

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In October 2014, having researched the surgeon and looked at before and after pictures she flew to Tunisia for a tummy tuck and liposuction with a fat transfer and uplift to her breasts costing £8,000. 

The lower half of her body would be operated on later in the year after she had recovered.  

Her initial excitement meant she overlooked the staff not being able to speak English and the anxiety she felt being away from home. 

But she was concerned when results didn’t match up to her expectations. 

‘At first I was thrilled because I looked better than I had before. 

‘But the fat transfer to my breasts hadn’t worked at all but I was told I had to fly home and wait for the swelling to go down to see.’

Back home, the results continued to disappoint and in the end her surgeon agreed both procedures needed redoing.

He offered to perform an arm lift and breast implants at the same time costing a further £4,000.

Mrs Harvey struggled with her weight and was a size 30 before she joined a slimming group and shed 10 stone

The mother-of-one was left with a sagging apron of skin and drooping breast (left) after losing weight. She underwent the initial procedures abroad (right) bit was disappointed with the results

Five months later in March 2015 she flew back for the revision work 

But though her breasts were improved and her tummy neater, she still did not look as the surgeon had shown her she should in pictures of past surgery. 

HOW THE SURGERY UNFOLDED 

In October 2014 Mrs Harvey flew to Tunisia for a tummy tuck and liposuction with a fat transfer and uplift to her breasts costing £8,000.

Five months later in March 2015, she returned for lift and breast implants costing a further £4,000.

She was still dissatisfied with how they looked and was shocked when the surgeon said he was unable to perform a planned buttock lift he had promised before.

Found Mr Mark Pacifico, consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon, based at the Purity Clinic in Royal Tonbridge Wells, and spent £10,000 on corrective work.

Plans on having buttock lift surgery later in the year and anticipates the cost will be a further £10,000.

‘Again I was told to give it time. I felt better than I had and my confidence improved but as time passed it became clear that the results were not going to be as promised. 

‘My arms did not look much better and my breasts looked saggy and too big.’

To top it off when she saw her surgeon again to discuss the planned buttock lift surgery he admitted he couldn’t do it after all. 

She says: ‘I was stunned. He admitted he didn’t have the skill to do it. 

‘I felt I had been led up the garden path and only received half of what I was promised and not a great half at that.’ 

Upset at feeling only ‘half finished,’ her husband urged her to spend more of their savings on seeing a UK based surgeon to try and put the situation right.

She said: ‘I had no choice really because my top half was half done, and the bottom half worse than ever. 

‘It was like I’d been through all that surgery and spent all that money for nothing. 

After more extensive research she found Mr Mark Pacifico, consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon based at the Purity Clinic in Royal Tonbridge Wells. 

The nail technician’s breasts did not match her expectations after going abroad for surgery so she has had them redone at a British clinic

Mrs Harvey’s arm is thinner after the revision surgery which she had in the UK after the initial work abroad

She says her experience in the Nuffield Hospital where her arms and breasts were operated on again last month, was also totally different. 

And importantly she says the results of the revision surgery, which included taking out her old implants and replacing them with smaller under the muscle implants along with another breast lift and more arm skin removal, are exactly as she hoped.

She will now undergo more surgery to complete her body overhaul with a planned lower body lift later in the year – which is set to cost another £10,000.

‘I was hoping to save money by going abroad but it’s ended up costing me twice as much to pay to have it put right. 

‘I tried to save money and it cost me dearly. Not just financially but emotionally and physically. 

‘My arms are finally as I hoped they would be and my breasts look natural and suit my body shape. 

‘After the surgery abroad I thought I was happy because I was just pleased to be rid of the saggy skin but now I truly am delighted.’